Thursday, November 01, 2007

How Thoughtless of Me!

Not much time. Picking up where we left off yesterday, Schuon was explaining the difference between thought and intellection, or what I symbolize in the new testavus for the rest of us as (k) and (n). I employed these "empty categories" so that they might attract meaning based upon personal experience, since a word such as "thinking" is so saturated with meaning that people imagine they know what it is just because they have a word for it. But they don't know what thinking is, nor what thinking about thinking is, let alone thinking the unThinkable.

Even worse, people who think they know what thinking is, also assume it is identical to intellection, since they don't even allow for the latter anyway. This is why, when atheists talk about "God," they are actually talking in their own private language about nothing. Yes, it is nonsense, but give them credit: it is strict nonsense.

As we have said many times (that's the royal pain-in-the-ass "we," meaning Petey), there is no problem with reason so long as it is limited to its own domain. But the problem with all forms of "terminal rationalism" is that they illogically foreclose any reality that transcends mere reason. As Schuon explains, rationalism "seeks the culminating point of the cognitive process on its own level," which is ultimately as illogical as searching "for a word that is entirely what it designates."

Here again, we see the problem between the abstract and the concrete, as if abstract words could ever completely exhaust the concrete without remainder. But thinking is like pi in sky, which goes on forever. Or as Jethro Bodine once said, "Pi are round. Cornbread are square."

So in order to "think the unthinkable," so to speak, we require "mental forms fitted to serve as vehicles for intellectual intuition and therefore truth," since "poorly posed questions no more attract the light than they are derived from it" (Schuon).

Now, Truth in itself is inexhaustible, and no mental formulation could ever "contain" it. However, there are metaphysical formulations rooted in revelation that can adequately do so, and that is all we need or ask: O Petey, the merciful, the compassionate, but more often severe, please feel free to throw us a bone down here in 4D so that we might catch a glimpse of hyperspace, okay?

Forget Petey, let's ask Schuon. First of all, this blog is essentially about intellection, not thinking. Therefore, when a thinker comes along to try to start an argument, there's not much to say except "woof." And Dupree says "woof" to drive home the idea that human thought is to animal thought as intellection is to thought. It's no use to get into a... a thought fight with a thinker, because you're both going to end up covered in thought, the only difference being that the thinker will enjoy it. Look, I didn't make up the rules here: Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine.

If truth exists, we are obliged to believe it, no? But there is no secular philosophy that can account for truth in a way that isn't ultimately circular, nor can it provide any reason why one should believe it, since rationalism can never legitimately get from the is to the ought. At the very least, as Schuon writes, no philosophy engenders sanctity, except for the false sanctity of the secular politically correct. Which admittedly is a lot of false sanctity, thus demonstrating once again the destruction wrought by leftist religious fanatics in the absence of religion.

In fact, we could probably use a new symbol to describe this phenomenon, (-R) (negative religion), or perhaps (-n), which would refer to all the false mysticism (e.g., environmental mysteria) that permeates leftist thought (and which is so well explained by the philosopher Eric Voegelin... well, maybe not so well by him, since he was pretty obscure. But this book does a good job of translating his ideas into plain english).

One of the major differences between (k) and (n) is that the former is static while the latter is transformative, altering the being of person who internalizes it. This is not to criticize (k), as it obviously has its place, even a vital one. Our Islamic enemies, for example, parasitize our Western (k) in the service of their insane (-n), the latter of which creates a context that prevents the independent acquisition of (k) to begin with. Which is why the Islamic world produces nothing but misery, poverty, and stupidity.

Well, I'd better go get my bloodwork done, since I'm fasting. To be continued. But I do wonder how Islamists can use and covet so much (k) discovered by Jews, such as nuclear physics, just as I wonder how leftists can respect a constitution written by Christian men and embodying so much (n). Then again, one way to reduce the Constitution from (n) to (k) is to appoint elitist, activist judges who know better than the rest of us.

I don't see how you think Intellection is so rare, why, it's so common it's got it's own dotCom:

"Intellection has ranked sixth in Queensland (31 overall) in the 2006 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards, achieving 245 per cent revenue growth over the last three years. This award comes just weeks after the company’s 47th ranking in the BRW Fast 100."

That sounds way squarer than cornbread, and even rounder than Pie to me Uncle Jed....

"It's no use to get into a... a thought fight with a thinker, because you're both going to end up covered in thought, the only difference being that the thinker will enjoy it. Look, I didn't make up the rules here: Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine."

But Uncle Jed, it's so much Fuuunnnn!"Pffft!"

But..."Pffft!" "Pffft!"

But, what I would do is so much harder than what I do do..."Pffft!" "Pffft!" "Pffft!"

Bob said:"It's no use to get into a... a thought fight with a thinker, because you're both going to end up covered in thought, the only difference being that the thinker will enjoy it."

Er, females have known this for ages.

Since you were kind enough to blow The Male Cover, it's only fair to post the other side of that coin.

From Kyle-Anne Shiver (AT 10/19/07)

"For those of you who might not be familiar with the female hissy-fit, I will attempt to define it. As a Southern female, descended from a long line of Southern belles and femmes fatales, I was myself perfectly schooled in this necessary tactic in the War Between the Sexes. It’s deceitful; it’s underhanded. It’s definitely a below-the-belt kind of weapon. But, as it was explained to me early in life, it was a most necessary ploy in a world where the male enemy held a significant power advantage in terms of authority and money. It was therefore perfectly acceptable.

It works like this: any time you are not getting your way by using facts and legitimate, reasoned argument, you must overwhelm your male opponent with unassailable emotional turmoil, i.e. a hissy-fit. In other words, take the argument to a level that your male adversary does not comprehend: pure emotion, unencumbered by rational thought. By purposely becoming irrational, and accusing your opponent of being “vicious,” “mean,” “unreasonable,” “vile,” “cruel,” “a bully,” et cetera, et cetera into lingual infinity, you effectively disarm your utterly reasonable opponent and ride the emotional wave of perfected guile to victory. In other words, you get your own way in the matter."

Psalm 10:4 says, "In their pride the wicked do not seek him; in all their thoughts there is no room for God." Or, I might add, for intellection.

Then, there's this from Isaiah, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (55:8-9).

Now, all of this hits kind of close to home. Up here in Portland, many of you may know, we're dealing with a dramatic bit of leftist overreach in the form of school dispensed birth control for teeny-boppers. 75% of us know, in the sense of (n), that this is wrong, and it seems to me that there is, in this case, a need to find a way to get (n) translated into (k), because it just won't work to go to the Portland School Committee meeting and say, "Woof!"

The point being that there seem to me to be times when thought fights with thinkers are an essential part of slogging our way to higher consciousness down here on the ground. The way it works for me is that I start off with "knowing" that, in this case, the Committee decision is wrong, just like I know that a Beethoven theme is beautiful. Then I try to figure out how to use (k) to communicate this in a way that has impact where the rubber meets the road.

For example, we use reason to realize that this is wrong because teeny-bopper sex is a crime in Maine, and this is facilitating illegal activity, and most of us know that "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" is wrong.

Doesn't this imply, then, that there are times when having a (k) fight is important and not just futile? Isn't this a way that (n) spreads? Because there is a stance that says passive (n)oing is where it's really at. Which would imply that doing battle with the purveyors of pre-teen sexuality is a waste of time or, worse yet, self-destructive.

Believe me, I'd like nothing better than to sit back, contemplate, and let someone else try to change the world, but there's this nagging feeling that I bear some responsibility for how things turn out down here. Is this hubris? Am I jousting at windmills? What would Petey do?

Nomo, all leftists may be females, but by the grace of (O) not all females are leftists ;)

Maineman, I would hazard a guess that when it comes to ordinary discussion, "Woof" is often the correct response. However, when it comes to extraordinary action, the correct response, one would think (uh-oh!), must also be extraordinary and appropriate action.

Perhaps only if I have the Spirit of God in me - "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." (I Cor 2:11) Also, perhaps only then might true intellection be possible.

Bob mentions The Constitution. I agree with him that it represents a problem.

I'm in the "other" camp from the Bobolytes; I'm a bluestate lefty Islamofeminist.

I may sound like a conspiracist cliche, but I DO want a New World Order based on Islamofeminism. I absolutely want all males out of power and a gynocracy of Muslim women of color to rule in their stead. To do so in the United States the Constitution will have to be abolished or circumvented.

I know what men and white women are thinking--what will our place abe in this new order?

You will have good jobs and all the material amenities but you will not be able to hold positions of responisibility.

It is not a bad life and perhaps an easier one if you think about it.

The undermining of the Constitution will be gradual over the next century and then a peaceful Jihad will usher in the new order.

"since a word such as "thinking" is so saturated with meaning that people imagine they know what it is just because they have a word for it. But they don't know what thinking is, nor what thinking about thinking is, let alone thinking the unThinkable."

WOW, that's good!Did Jethro also say to his son "You don't have to take trigonometry in school, I teached you to shoot a gun already"?

Completely off topic, but can you imagine the crime spree a burqa wearing femnoiselambie could get away with? Picture the police line-up... 'Ok ahmed, which of these suspicious looking black burqa's was it that robbed you?'

Imagine the secret service detail "Ok, secure the president""I'm the president", "No, I'm the president" "No, I'm the president". Spartacus had nothing on them, every enterprising secret service agent who tried to peak to verify which one should be protected would have to stomped to death by her family... and then of course she would too, what with offended honor and all... talk about term limits.

What About Bob?

Who spirals down the celestial firepole on wings of slack, seizes the wheel of the cosmic bus, and embarks upin a bewilderness adventure of higher nondoodling? Who, haloed be his gnome, loiters on the threshold of the transdimensional doorway, looking for handouts from Petey? Who, with his doppelgägster and testy snideprick, Cousin Dupree, wields the pliers and blowtorch of fine insultainment for the ridicure of assouls? Who is the gentleman loaffeur who yoinks the sword from the stoned philosopher and shoves it in the breadbasket of metaphysical ignorance and tenure? Whose New Testavus for the Restavus blows the locked doors of the empyrean off their rusty old hinges and sheds a beam of intense darkness on the world enigma? Who is the Biggest Fakir of the Vertical Church of God Knows What, channeling the roaring torrent of 〇 into the feeble stream of cyberspace? Who is the masked pandit who lobs the first water balloon out the motel window at the annual Raccoon convention? Who is your nonlocal partner in disorganized crimethink? Shut your mouth! But I'm talkin' about bʘb! Then we can dig it!

Goround ZerO:

Search and Ye Never Knows What Ye Might Find:

The Cosmic Area Rug:

The empty center is Beyond-Being. The circles are dimensions of Being. Your life is a path for the Spirit to pass from periphery to center. Thoughts and choices -- truth and virtue -- are the paving stones.

Only Error is Transmitted:

Buck Mulligan, Official Mascot

Official Sponsor of the Kosmic Kit Scouts, Laniakea Supercluster Chapter

Fuck You: War

Late last night, in search of light, I watched a ball of fire streak across the midnight sky. I watched it glow, then grow, then shrink, then sink into the silhouette of morning. As I watched it die, I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a lot in common with that light.’ That’s right. I’m alive with the fire of my life, which streaks across my span of time and is seen by those who lift their eyes in search of light to help them though the long, dark night. --Nilsson

We see that yesterday is our birthday, today is our life, and tomorrow we are gone. So we have just one day to learn all we need to know, and that day is today. --Petey